26 posts tagged “family”

I just screamed at my five year old. What the hell is wrong with me. =(

Time for me to say I'm sorry.

The flu bug has our family in its grasp. Right now it is just myself and Lucian that are battling it, but everyone has had their share of it this past week. I attempted to get Lucian into the pediatrician's office, but the same old schpeel they fed me last time I tried to take him is what they fed me this time. My son has never been to the doctor. SHOCK! GASP!

Medical Neglect, you say? No; that would mean I have ignored his medical needs. I've tried to get him seen MANY times, but have been turned away. We have insurance, but when we attempt to utilize it to seek medical attention, we are told either

1. "You don't have insurance."
2. "You have a different insurance than the one you presented, and we don't take it."
3. "You have a different doctor and we can't see you, you need to go see that doctor."
4. "You could pay cash and your insurance will reimburse you."
   

The argument gets cyclical. I'll go to doctor A and s/he will say #3. We go to doctor B, whom Doctor A said was our doctor, and we are told either #1 or 2. If I argue, they look at me like I am retarded, and get hostile. I have attempted many, many times to get this cleared up with those that CAN fix it, and they give me a standard, "we'll research it, but it says here that [insert correct info here] so I don't know why that's happening. Just go back and tell them its okay." This is the exact reason I had absolutely no medical care while pregnant with Lucian. When something happened, I would just go to the ER because they CAN'T turn me away. This is what I've had to do with Lucian. This is what my husband has had to do. This really bothers me, because our ailments take away from those that are truly in need. The ER should not be our only recourse. My girls don't have this problem, because they have their primary insurance through their father's work and mine is secondary and picks up the copays. Our family simply does not have the money to pay cash and hope the insurance would reimburse us.

What is this terrible medical insurance, you ask? Medi-Cal. Yes, that state funded medical insurance so that no low income family will go without medical care is the exact one that is making it impossible for my family to get care. The workers that handle cases need to be retrained so this doesn't happen. And when they say they will do something, they should actually do it instead of blowing smoke up our butts just to get us off the phone. I know it is a hard job, and I appreciate the help they do do, but the condescension and downright lying isn't necessary.  /sigh

Here it is, a month since our wedding. Since that day, we've seen the family grow by one (his cousin Genevieve had her son, Dominic), there's been trips to the hospital (Adam has walking pneumonia, Lucian went in after just in case), one of our daughters had a birthday, and 1/2 of our children are grounded.

Honestly, it feels like we have been married forever. Maybe it is because we've considered ourselves "married" for so long before we actually went ahead and made it legal. He joked that he wanted a divorce, and I asked him if he was going to do that monthly. lol

Adam's hours at work were cut to 15 hours this coming week. Which means he needs a new job. It is really unfortunate and it worries me. He is so freaking picky. We can't afford for him to be picky. I would like to continue to stay home and homeschool the children, but it might end up being impossible. This makes me sadder than I can adequately express in words.

I will continue to try and think positive, though. So, to summarize, we are doing good maritally, and we'll have to think on what to do financially.

My cycle started over yesterday. With it, came back pain. I can do without that, thank you very much. Its still bothering me, but we aren't doing any running or walking today so I have some rest in that respect.

I don't know how I feel about it, though. I am happy, because I can keep training for the marathon, yet a little sad that there'll be no baby. There is always another cycle...another month. If its meant to be it will happen.

Its quiet over here. I have four children, and it usually is pretty quiet around here. Relatively speaking. When the girls are gone with their father the silence is deafening. And then its just the boy and I (when Daddy's at work). You can tell he misses his sister's while they're gone. I miss them while they're gone.

My oldest child's 11th birthday is this coming Monday. I invited everyone we could think of, and only one family is coming. It breaks my heart for her, but I hope she doesn't care. I found her birthday gift (finally) after searching everywhere for it. But in buying it, it left us with $1.80 in the bank. I've had to rely on friends to help us keep her party going. I am waiting on the second half of the child support to come in so I can pay them back. It bothers me. A lot. We normally don't have a problem with this...its been a wonky couple of months.

I had a dream that we lived in the apartments that Anita lives in, and that I told her nosey manager to mind her own business and quit being a stalker. In my dream, her manager kept following me around and asking why I didn't buy her cheesecake (when I went to a cake store), or who lives on whatever street (when I would go visit my family). I woke up creeped out.

Show us a photograph that makes you remember.

I have a brand new refrigerator! One that doesn't leak water all over everything and spoil my vegetables. Of course, in tune with everything, when it was first installed it didn't work. At all. So the apartment complex had to call Sears BrandCentral and have them come out and fix it. Its funny, that I got a brand new, never used by anyone, refrigerator and it didn't work. lol

But all that doesn't matter now. Its here, and it is amazing how excited one can get over something that isn't a toy. I wonder if one day we'll need two of these. Hopefully if/when that happens we'll have expanded into a larger home. One can certainly dream.

In just two days I will be no longer Melissa K. No one will ever refer to me again as Melissa H. I'll be Mrs. Adam Church.

Adam had wanted to take my family name when we married, but since my dad didn't/doesn't care too much for him he decided not to (to respect my father). I suggested that we both take his mother's maiden name, a name that holds significance to him. His family is from Northern Italy on his mother's side, and he is very proud of his Italian heritage. He decided against that once our son was born. We had already given him the Church name, and it now held importance to him for the first time.

I think it is more than that though. A baby can and will change you. Whether you are their parent or their grandparent. My son is my future in-law's first grandchild. While his paternal grandmother has been gaga over him since before he came out of the womb, it took his birth on Mother's Day of this year for things to change for his paternal grandfather. When Adam called his father to tell him his grandson had been born, he was surprised to hear his father crying.

Since our son's birth seven months ago, a strained relationship with a father and son has changed. And it seems all it took was that tiny bundle of smiles to show them what was important. A reminder, if you will. Names are not what is important. It is the significance we give them. Family. Our history.

Adam and I are making a new family history, adding to a rich and varied story that spans the globe for both of our families. A blending of three families if you want to get technical about it. My daughters have been folded into his family as if they had always been there. I have been blessed so many times by how much a family will do for those they call their own.

And as I begin 2008 by telling my best friend "I do," I would like to wish you all the very best for the new year, and leave you with the hope that you too can have the peace and comfort a loving family brings. Happy New Year.

Fine. You be mom.

I've been learning to cook for quite a while now. My family has been good sports in trying everything I make. Some are instant hits, some grow on them, others they wish would die in a fire.

Last night I made Chicken Breast with Artichoke Sauce with a side of broccoli and cheese. All of them liked it except my five year old, who said it tasted like salmon (she doesn't like salmon). AJ likes it so much he wants me to make it again. Recipes like that go into my recipe box.

Tonight I'm making Pasta with Garlic Chickpea Sauce with a big salad and garlic toast. I hope they like it.

I'd like to make my own recipe book...like a cool looking scrapbook one, but with perhaps laminated pages so if I use it in the kitchen I can wipe off any spills. Hrm...